NL woman pleads guilty in credit card scam

A 27-year-old New London woman will serve up to two years in prison for her participation in a credit card scheme that netted more than $362,000 for a group of ten conspirators.

Alice Phillips pleaded guilty today in Superior Court to conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny and sixth-degree larceny. She admitted also to a violation of probation. Phillips will be sentenced December 4 to five years in prison, suspended after two years served followed by three years of probation.

According to prosecutor Lawrence J. Tytla, Phillips used 14 different Discover credit cards to obtain $22,000 in cash advances and purchase an additional $10,000 worth of goods. The cards had been printed in her name with stolen account numbers, Tytla said. Phillips also pleaded guilty today to stealing about $70 worth of lobster from Shop-Rite, according to Tytla.

Phillips is the last person to be sentenced in the case except for Joseph Ellis, the alleged mastermind of the scheme, who is incarcerated in Louisiana in a drug-trafficking case. Ellis will face the Connecticut charges once his Louisiana case is resolved.